Ashkan Dejagah

Ashkan Dejagah, born on July 5, 1986, in Tehran, Iran, is a retired Iranian-German footballer who represented Iran internationally despite being raised and developed in Germany. A technically gifted attacking midfielder, Dejagah came through the youth academy at Hertha Berlin and went on to play for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, where he was part of the squad that won the league title in 2009. He later played for VfL Bochum and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia before returning to Iran to play for Tractor and Persepolis. Dejagah chose to represent Iran internationally, earning 46 caps and scoring 10 goals. He played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where Iran drew with Nigeria and narrowly lost to Argentina. His decision to play for Iran despite being eligible for Germany was driven by his desire to connect with his heritage and represent his parents' homeland on the world's biggest stage.